Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky renewed yesterday, during a meeting in Ramstein with around fifty allied defense ministers, his request for the deployment of troops in Ukraine. A proposal that divides and on which Belgium remains cautious.
Volodymyr Zelensky made a direct appeal to his allies: “Deploy troops to Ukraine”. According to him, this intervention is essential not only to prepare for a possible negotiation with Russia, but above all to guarantee stability and respect for a potential ceasefire in the future.
If certain nations, like France, had already mentioned this hypothesis in the past, others, like Belgium, remain more reserved.
The official position of Belgium
Asked about this question, Ludivine Dedonder, Belgian Minister of Defense, recalls that the current government is in current affairs, which makes any decision premature.
She also underlines that sending troops cannot be considered in isolation by Belgium: collective reflection at European level is essential. To date, no decision has yet been taken at European level.
Before taking any position, several factors must be taken into account. First, the installation of a new Belgian government, which will be able to take up this issue. Then, the European discussions, which should lead to a common position.
International perspectives on the move
Belgian caution is part of a still uncertain international context. The imminent arrival of Donald Trump at the White House could reshuffle the cards. The future American president recently announced that he was preparing a meeting with Vladimir Putin, in the hope of finding a solution to the conflict in Ukraine.
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Last February, French President Emmanuel Macron declared that a deployment of Western troops to Ukraine “could not be excluded” ultimately, while admitting that there was not yet a “consensus” between kyiv’s allies.
Opinions divided
If Zelensky’s request aims to accelerate steps to guarantee peace, it raises questions, particularly in Belgium, where the silence of the authorities contrasts with the discussions underway in other European capitals.
Would the Belgians be ready to see their soldiers get involved in Ukraine to contribute to peace? A question which, for the moment, remains unresolved, awaiting the next political and diplomatic steps.
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